ORGAN-SPECIFIC QUANTITATIVE PROFILING OF PRIMARY METABOLITES IN FICUS BENGHALENSIS L.
Dr. V. B. Kadam*, Dr. S. M. Khan and V. B. Thombare
Primary metabolites such as proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and free amino acids are essential for plant growth, metabolism, and nutritive/medicinal use. This study quantifies and compares primary metabolite content in four plant parts (leaves, stem bark, roots, and fruits) of Ficus benghalensis L. Mature, healthy trees were sampled, plant materials air-dried and powdered, and analyzed using standard biochemical methods (Lowry/Bradford for protein, An throne for total carbohydrate, Folch/Bligh & Dyer for total lipids, ninhydrin-based assay for free amino acids). Five biological replicates were analyzed per plant part. Significant organ-specific differences were observed (one-way ANOVA, p < 0.05). Leaves contained the highest protein (13.1 ± 0.6% DW) and free amino acids (19.2 ± 1.1 mg g⁻¹ DW). Fruits were richest in carbohydrates (57.2 ± 2.3% DW). Stem bark showed intermediate values, while roots had a high carbohydrate-to-protein ratio. Lipids were relatively low across all organs (2.0–4.5% DW). These differences reflect organ-specific metabolic allocation and have implications for nutritional use, medicinal applications, and further biochemical studies of F. benghalensis.
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